Child carrier with detachable base

ABSTRACT

A child carrier having a seat which may be attached and removed from a base. The base has a spring-loaded locking mechanism which automatically secures the seat in the base. The seat has a spring-loaded release trigger extending from its head end. The trigger is integral with an elongated member which engages a connection to the locking mechanism in the base. The base and seat comprise an infant car seat. The seat may be used as a car seat, a seat secured to a shopping cart, and as a stand-alone seat.

The present invention is directly broadly to a child carrier and morespecifically to an infant carrier which may be detachably mated with abase or may be used separately as a child support.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Child carriers are in wide use, particularly relating to use in a car orthe like. All of the states now require that some type of child seat beused in automobiles for use with children who are of a size they cannotbe protected by the standard seat belt arrangement of the automobile.

Seats have been proposed which have multiple uses, and particularlywhich may be used with a base or used separately without the base.

Seat base combinations are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,177 toMeeker and U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,600 to Single. Such systems are comprisedof seats and bases separable from each other. Each base is designed tomate with the associated seat. Additionally, the seat portion hasindependent utility. In Meeker, the side edges of the infant seat arecoupled at two space points to the lateral edges of the base. Uncouplingis effected through the location of a handle located in front of thechild. In Single, the infant seat has lower rails on the sides forreceipt in parallel recesses of the base. Uncoupling is effected in thecenter front of the seat through a buckle depending from a belt.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,113 to Meeker discloses a restraining system using aseat and a base with the seat being secured to the base at its foot endby means of a J-shaped hook molded to the foot end of the base. The headend of the base is also provided with a releasable coupling mechanismfor securing the carrier thereto.

All of the above devices are usable primarily as a car seat, eithertogether or separately, although they could be used as a simple seatwhen the seat and the base are attached.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention discloses a child carrier which includes a seatand a base which mates with the underside of the seat. The base includesspring-biased locking means which engage at the bottom of the seat. Theseat itself includes a spring-biased latching means which, when the seatis engaged with the base, may be operated so as to release the lockingmeans which secures the base to the seat. When the seat is removed fromthe base it is configured that it may rest on the inside basket of ashopping cart with the spring-biased latching means engaging the forwardtransverse upper rod of the inner basket and with the foot end of theseat resting on the upper rear transverse rod of the shopping cart.

Thus, the invention provides means, particularly for infants, whereinthe seat and base may be secured to a car seat by the car seat safetybelt system and may be easily released from the base so that the infantmay be carried in the seat and be conveniently secured within the innerbasket of the shopping cart. Further, the seat may be used as an infantcar seat and also as a stand-alone carrier.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the carrier of the present inventionwith the seat mounted on the base;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the seat removed from the base;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the seat mounted on the innerbasket of a shopping cart;

FIG. 4 is a side view showing the seat and base secured to the seat ofan automobile;

FIG. 5 is a side view showing the seat without the base;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken through lines 6--6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken through the lines 7--7 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the base of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a top view of the base with the seat removed;

FIG. 10 is a schematic showing the frame and locking means together withthe latch means;

FIG. 11 is a schematic showing the latch means of FIG. 10 wherein theseat is locked to the base;

FIG. 12 is a schematic showing the locking means in the release positionallowing removal of the seat from the base; and

FIG. 13 is a partial sectional view showing the seat in a shopping cart.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown the carrier of the present inventionincluding seat 10 and base 11. The seat is a molded shell 13 having headend 14 and foot end 16 with sides 19 and 17 extending between the ends.Shell 13 includes a harness for retaining the child within the seat.Handle 15 is rotatably attached to the sides of shell 13, as is canopysupport 23.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the seat removed from the base andincludes leg structures 25 and 27 which are used to support the seatwhen used separately. Hooks 18 and 20 accommodate an automobile seatbelt when the seat is used without the base.

Base 11 is preferably of a molded unitary structure and includes anarcuate inner surface 29, head end 30, and foot end 32 interconnected byside walls 31 and 33. The side walls include openings 35 and 37. Slot 28passes through head end 30 and inverted U-shaped member 34 is integralwith the base.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing seat 10 mounted on shopping cart43. Most of the shopping carts in use today include a foldable innerbasket 41 at the rear of the basket. As illustrated, a channel 45 whichextends transversely through the bottom of the seat, rests on forwardtransverse bar 47 of the inner basket and is secured thereto by meanswhich will be discussed as the description proceeds. The back end of theseat rests on rearward transverse bar 49 of the shopping cart.

FIG. 4 shows seat 10 mounted in base 11 with the base being secured bycar seat belt 51 through openings 35 and 37. This is an infantconfiguration wherein the seat faces rearwardly.

FIG. 5 discloses the seat in use on a flat surface with handle 15 beingrotated and locked so as to provide rear support. Also illustrated iscanopy support member 23 being secured in an upward position with thecanopy 24 being shown in phantom lines.

The following description makes reference to FIGS. 6-12 for betterunderstanding of the mechanism involved in the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken through lines 6--6 of FIG. 1, which isessentially a centerline through the seat and base. Base 11, asdiscussed above, includes head end 30 and foot end 32 and is configuredso as to mate with the bottom of seat 10. Upper section 75 of head end30 includes aperture 77 which mates with a slot in cushion 78 (FIG. 7)through which belt 89 can pass so as to mate with strap retainer 79.Buckle 87 is shown with the tongue secured.

Frame 90, which can be more clearly seen in FIG. 8, extends between thehead end and foot end of the base. Finger 91 extends from one end andfingers 96 and 98 extend from the other end, again more clearly seen inFIG. 8. Semi-rigid flat finger 95 terminates in a arcuate end 97, whichmates with downwardly extending flange 83 on the bottom of seat 10 whenthe seat is in place on the base.

Springs 99 and 100, FIG. 8, bias frame 90 in a direction towards footend 32. Elongated body 101 is retained within seat 10 at the head endthereof; it includes depending finger 103, which extends into channel 92of frame 90. Upwardly extending finger 108 is biased against the innersurface of section 107 of seat 10 by means of spring 109. In thisposition finger 103 is substantially centrally located within channel92. Trigger 15 is integral with elongated body 101 and extends outwardlyfrom the head end of the seat.

Turning now to FIGS. 7 and 8, there are shown hooks 121 and 123 pivotedto base 30 on rod 117. Both hooks operate the same and the followingdiscussion will be directed to only one. When seat 10 is in place hook121 is substantially vertical and upper end 124 extends over lip 122extending from the underside of the seat. Hook 121 is connected to end98 of frame 90 by means of rod 118, as shown in FIG. 9. As can be seenin FIG. 8, retaining rod 119 is held in place by a circular plate andscrew means, and rod 117 is held in place by similar means attached toretaining blocks 125 and 127.

Operation of the latching mechanism can be more clearly understood fromFIGS. 10, 11, and 12. FIG. 10 is a schematic of frame 90 and associatedhooks 121, 123 and elongated member 101 with the remaining structureshown in phantom. FIG. 11 shows the mechanism in its locked positionwhen the seat is resting on the base. When seat 10 is placed on thebase, lip 122 bears against camming surface 124 of hook 121 so as toforce hook 121 to rotate about pivot 117 against the bias of spring 100.After it passes the end of cammed surface 124, hook 121 will snap backinto the position shown at FIG. 11. In this position elongated member101 is in the position as shown and held in that position by bias ofspring 109. As shown in phantom, downwardly extending flange 83 isresting within arcuate end 97 of semi-rigid finger 95. Inverted U-shapedmember 32 is integral with the base and prevents the head end of theseat from rising away from the base.

When the seat is to be removed, trigger 115 is grasped by a finger andpulled in the direction shown by the arrow, FIG. 12, so as to overcomethe bias of spring 109. Depending finger 103 bears against the innersurface of channel 92 of frame 90 and causes the frame to move with theelongated member in the direction again shown by the arrow. Since theframe is connected to hook 121 it will rotate the hook about pivot point117 by overcoming the bias of spring 100. In order to allow somemovement of retaining bar 118, the bar rests within a slot at the end ofthe frame. As the hook rotates counterclockwise, it is removed fromcontact with lip 122. At the same time, semi-rigid finger 95 flexesdownwardly until it passes downwardly past flange 83. This releases theentire latching system which holds the seat to the base and the seat canthen be removed.

FIG. 13 is a partial sectional view taken through the seat showingelongated member 101 in its forward position biased by spring 109. Ascan be seen, the pointed end of elongated member 101 is designed so asto pass beneath transverse rod 47 of the inner basket. In order to limitmovement of the entire basket, shoulder 72 exists in the upper surfaceof element 101. When the seat is placed on the basket, the angledsurface of elongated member 101 acts as a camming surface forcingmovement of member 101 to the right against the bias of spring 109.Member 101 snaps back into the position shown once it has cleared rod47. When the basket is to be removed, trigger 115 is again pulled so asto release the seat from the basket.

The above description and drawings are illustrative only sinceequivalent components could be used to accomplish the same function.Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only by the scope of thefollowing claims.

I claim:
 1. A child carrier comprisingseat means having a seat baseincluding a foot end, head end, a back and side walls; a transversechannel having an upper and lower end extending upwardly within saidhead end of said seat base; spring biased latching means extendingthrough said back of said seat means and into said channel, saidlatching means being below the upper end of said channel; said channelbeing adapted to fit over an upper forward transverse rod of an innerbasket of a shopping cart with said latching means being adapted to passover and fit under the transverse rod; a base geometrically configuredso as to mate with the bottom of said seat means, said base having asubstantially flat bottom surface, a head end, foot end, and side walls;a frame having first and second ends movably mounted within said baseand being configured at said first end so as to mate with and move withsaid spring biased latching means; hook means pivotally mounted withinsaid base; means for securing said second end of said frame to said hookmeans; second spring means for biasing said frame in a direction so asto maintain said hook means in a substantially upwardly extendingposition; means on the bottom of said seat means configured so as tomate with said hook means when said seat means is placed on said base;whereby movement of said latching means in one direction moves saidframe so as to overcome the bias of said second spring means and rotatesaid hook means to a position so as to permit removal of said seat meansfrom said base.